A big shout out to those that got involved to help the gear drive and support the Afghan Cycling Federation: Rise Above Cycles, Boulder Cycle Sport, Skratch Labs, Stan’s No Tubes, Molly Hurford, Liv/giant, James Huang, Michael and Donna Bettin, Inertia Racing, Polar Bottles, and all the other fantastic individuals and shops that sent us gear – we couldn’t have done this without!   Huge shout out to Ky Hunter, who joined us briefly as our incredibly overqualified ‘bike mechanic’.

In addition – a huge thanks to the film crew that was part of this journey; Sarah Menzies, Whitney Conner Clapper, Claudia Lopez who along with myself as producer, make up the crew for the upcoming film, Afghan Cycles, about the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team – the women that DARE TO RIDE!  You made this trip pure joy!

Read more about the gear drive for the women’s national cycling team here!

A huge thanks to Primal Wear for these amazing cycling kits that we can sell to support the launch of the Strength in Numbers program.  They have generously donated design and production so that we can donate 100% of proceeds to our programming.  These are special edition with a limited run of men’s and women’s cycling jerseys, shorts, and jackets.  When they are gone, they are gone, and they won’t come back.  The back lists our key sponsors: Osprey Packs, Skratch Labs, Alchemy Bicycles, Shredly, and Pedros.

Men’s and women’s jerseys are sport cut, raglan sleeve – $75

Men’s and women’s shorts are the Pro T9 – $85

WOMEN”S ONLY  cycling jacket is extremely limited, most of the jackets will be given away at fundraiser events.  $100

You can visit Primal Wear’s site to check sizing if you are unsure.

You can get yours by emailing info@mountain2mountain.org with your order and shipping address, and if we have your sizes we’ll direct you to make your donation total, including $10 shipping fee, on the Mountain2Mountain website.  We’ll get you orders shipped out within 7-10 days.   No refunds – we are doing this grassroots style out of boxes at M2M headquarters – aka Shannon’s house.

Gorgeous bike mandala was created for Strength in Numbers by April Lemly!

Want a t-shirt to show your support?  Not a cyclist, don’t wear spandex, or we don’t have your size available?   Check out the special edition tshirt available direct on Handlebar Mustache – proceeds of the sales benefit Mountain2Mountain and help spread the Strength in Numbers love!   Brett and Ashley designed the shirts, complete with our bike mandala and #giveashit tagline and offered them up for sale on their site.

Guys, you can get yours here!

Ladies, you can get YOURS here!

Travis is a longtime friend, advisor to M2M, and frequent road trip companion to some dodgy places as my photographer-for-hire.   He had asked me last fall if we could keep the exhibition in Afghanistan after our series of public exhibitions to set the backdrop and involve more art forms in this years festival.  I couldn’t think of a more fitting finale.  Sound Central Festival has grown from the initial one day rock festival at Babur Gardens, to a alternative music and art festival spanning four days on two stages with acts from around the world.   The festival kicked off with the Women’s Only day – which allowed orphanages and school girls to attend and experience a different sort of concert.  Slam poetry, a fashion show, Afghan rap duo, films, and a killer performance by White City, and Ariana Delwari rounded out the indoor activities, along with various artisans in the lobby.  Outside was the Streets of Afghanistan exhibition throughout the entrance courtyard, grafitti art with Shamsia, and Mountain2Mountain‘s Bike School with members of the women’s national cycling team.

Once the music kicked off however, we took the three members of the national team inside so they could take part.  The crowd was a sea of white headscarves from the schoolgirl’s uniform, and they cheered and clapped throughout the various acts.  But when Ru Owen, frontman of Kabul expat band, White City took the stage – they went wild.   She welcomed them in Dari and with arms open called out to her Afghan ‘sisters’.  Goosebumps ran down my spine at her wide smile that showed her genuine pleasure to take the stage in front of all these young girls, who for most had never been to any concert, much less one like this – a full blown rock concert with a strong female lead.  Without further ado, Ru, Travis, and Andreas rocked their world and the girls loved every minute.

photo Ellie Kealy

Ru tweeted after the event, ”It may be just a moment, but this makes everything worth it.”

Beyond the Sound Central Festival, White City, and in particular, Travis, has spent years mentoring young Afghan rockers like Kabul Dreams, District Unknown, and many more.  Setting up recording studios, finding instruments, and arranging concerts – Afghan rockers are flourishing.  One of the latest side projects was a mobile music truck tour to Mazar i Sharif with District Unknown.

Huge props to the entire Sound Central crew that pulls this off so powerfully and proves to the rest of the world that rock does have a place in Afghanistan.  3 more days of the festival ahead…Rock on.

After Ky arrived from the States as our ‘bike mechanic’, she immediately got to work on assembling the bikes.  She got a chance to ride briefly with the girls on a training ride on one of the trucking roads out of Kabul, and to sit in on several of the interviews to meet the Coach and the girls and better understand our program and these amazing girls.

Two days later, we invited the girls over to the guesthouse/bike shop to get fitted.    They arrived in typical Afghan fashion for the bike fits.

Ky did a mini bike clinic with the team’s bike mechanic and of course, coach was there giving his opinion.

The trick with these bikes is the lack of bike racks in Afghanistan.  After a road trip with the girls to film a training ride, the common method of bike transportation became clear.  All well and good for steel monstrosities like the ones they train on,  but less than ideal when transporting lightweight racing bikes.

If the girls could simply ride from home, they could keep their bikes at home and ride to the training rides.  But due to the nature of security and controversy that surrounds girls cycling, the girls can only ride with a male family member or with the coach.  So that involves the coach picking them up with the bikes to drive outside of Kabul to train on highways and backroads that are paved.  So for now, the girls will continue to train on the steel, with one day training a week on the racing bikes until we can come up with a transportation solution that wont destroy the bikes.  That brainstorm is already in progress.

In the meantime – Coach came to pick up the bikes today.  With a trunk full of old bikes already, his LandCruiser didn’t seem capable of picking up the 5 Liv/giant bikes plus the one full carbon BMC frame that we gifted him to replace the pink steel commuter he rides, with Hercules painted along the frame.

In typical Afghan fashion, he assured us that it was fine, that the bikes would fit and we went outside to load them up.  Hilarity ensued, and I just shook my head in wonderment at it all.

In the meantime, assured by Coach the racing bikes would arrive to their destination in one piece, we are excited that the girls will have road bikes for their upcoming competition in Thailand later this year, and to continue to grow the sport.

Huge thanks to the support crew:  Above the Rise Cycles, Boulder Cycle Sport, Liv/giant, and Skratch Labs.  Not to mention those of you that donated clothing and equipment as well as cash – without you this trip wouldn’t have been possible!

                                        SCF Founder, Travis Beard, gets excited about this year’s line up

The festival kicks off with a women’s only day, inviting upwards of 500 schoolgirls and orphans to attend to listen to music, watch a film by Afghan American singer/songwriter/filmmaker, Ariana Delwari, and learn about contemporary art.  In the courtyard girls can learn to skateboard, bike ride, and experience art.  The goal is to engage young Afghan girls that wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to be exposed to art and contemporary music and sport.

Next up is where they begin to really rock – three days of rock, alternative, punk, rap, and everything in-between as Sound Central rocks Kabul on two stages.  This is not for the expat scene, Sound Central is open to the public and about engaging Afghan youth in contemporary and alternative music, while highlighting the music scene in this region and beyond with bands from Afghanistan and its neighbors like District Unknown, Kabul Dreams, Tears of the Sun and many more.

Home grown Kabul boys, District Unknown, rock Afghanistan regularly

Streets of Afghanistan will fill up the courtyard with its lifesize photography for the entire festival, and Mountain2Mountain is planning on running a grassroots Bike School for the girls on the women’s only day with a couple members of the women’s cycling team alongside the skateboard school.

Stay tuned for photos and updates throughout the week while Sound Central rocks Kabul.

Setting up the Streets exhibition in Kabul 2012

Two days ago I flew back to Kabul and headed straight from the airport directly to the offices of the cycling federation with 6 brand new bikes and over 350 pounds of cycling clothing that had been donated by individuals, bike shops, and bike companies.  With me… a photographer, a writer, a film crew, and a overqualified ‘bike mechanic’.

He was all smiles when I stepped off the mini bus and he recognized my face, pleased I had returned to lend support.  After explaining what I hoped Mountain2Mountain could do to help grow and develop the cycling teams, I introduced the film crew, Let Media’s Sarah Menzies and Whitney Clapper Connor – who were with me to create a documentary about the women’s cycling team, Afghan Cycles.   When asked if he would support the project and allow us access to himself and his team, he responded – “Bale, bale bale”.  ”Yes, yes yes. I thank you for your interest and support and we will support this project and your efforts 1000%.”

The next day we dropped off the gear for the mens and women’s team back at the federation offices and sat with the bare bones staff to discuss our involvement beyond this gear drive and film.  What did the federation need to improve?  What could Mountain2Mountain do to help the teams grow and develop?  After a couple of hours, we drove to Coach Sediq’s home to interview him, and have lunch.  Sitting in his living room, we talked further surrounded by medals and awards from various races outside of Afghanistan.

Coach Sediq helped form the men’s national cycling team 33 years ago.  An avid and well known cyclist, he not only worked to introduce the sport to more men but also started a women’s team.   Today there are 10 women on the national team, at first glance it resembles something more akin to a development team, training only twice a week, on a variety of old, heavy bikes, and flat pedals.  Many of these girls have only been riding a couple of years and their handling skills needs as much development as their endurance and strength.  But they are the national team, and as such have competed in Pakistan and India, even winning medals to bring home.

Now there are three women’s teams in Afghanistan and a desire to create a fourth in the home province of one of the national team members.  They are very keen to expand the sport and teach more girls to ride and Coach Sediq, is giving all his time to the development of the girls team.  His interactions with the girls and their families is like that of a favorite uncle.  He insists that anytime a girl wants to join the team, he meets with her family to get their consent.  He taught his own daughter to ride a bike and she competed at quite a high level, becoming a champion.  His wife didn’t approve of the cycling, and asked that she stop now that she is in her last years of school to focus on her studies.  It illustrates that even women often don’t approve in Afghanistan today.

Mountain2Mountain has pledged is longterm support to help the teams with equipment, gear, and partnerships so that they can develop their team, expand their program, and improve their coaching.  We are at the start of an incredible journey.

photo credit: Claudia Lopez

                                                         Road trip with the team, wearing new jerseys and helmets from the gear drive. 

Women riding bikes is still considered taboo in Afghanistan, most of the women that ride on the team have only been riding bikes for a year or two.   While these women are riding their bikes in public, it is not without risk.  The girls face enormous challenges to ride a bike, illustrated best by the fact that they can’t ride their bikes alone, or with their teammates.  The only way to ride safely is with a male family member or their coach.  Whether they realize it or not, these women are challenging gender barriers very publicly and setting an example to other young women everywhere.

But they don’t focus on that, so neither will we.  Let’s focus instead on their new found love of cycling, which for many on the team is simply a hobby.  They are simply enjoying a new hobby, a new sport that makes them healthier, happier, and has developed new friendships.  It has also allowed many of them the opportunity to travel outside of Afghanistan to competitions in India and Pakistan.

Most inspiring, especially given their newness to the sport, is their desire to compete, and in some cases, their desire to raise the Afghan flag in international competitions to show the world “Afghanistan is more than just a drug country, and to show the world as an Afghan woman, and as a female cyclist, I am proud.”

                                       Sadaf, rides one of the few actual road bikes on the team, a heavy beast with flat pedals. 

photo credits:  Claudia Lopez

First step was a 3 truck convoy to Denver International Airport.  Luckily, the woman at the counter check-in remembered me from four months ago.  She just shook her head and said smiling, “again? really?”

Amazingly, all the bags arrived through DC, Dubai, and into Kabul where 5 willing porters helped gather up all the boxes, some quite worse for wear after the long journey.

We walked through the parking lots to find Najibullah and the minibus to take us back to our guesthouse.  He smiled when he saw me and all the luggage, and like the Denver airline representative said, “Salaam, Shannon.  Are we doing THIS again?”  I said, sheepishly said, “yes, Najib, but I promise it won’t be like last time.  We only have to load the minibus one time, not twenty.”

All the bags were checked at the guesthouse, and the guards smiled big at the sight of all the helmets and the bikes, they have seen my mountain bike more than once and even watched me ride out on a couple early morning Kabul rides in the dark.  They also asked if I will be bringing my motorcycle that I usually keep in the courtyard, disappointed when I told them no.  They aren’t surprised by much of anything I do anymore.

The next day we sorted out the boxes that had some jumbled up mens and women’s gear to deliver at the Afghan Cycling Federation offices.

A huge and massive thanks goes out to Osprey Packs, Liv/giant, Giro, Skratch Labs, Boulder Cycle Sport, and all the amazing individuals and bike shops that made this possible!!  It was a joy to deliver the boxes to the coach and give him an inventory.

Inside, I explained some specifics about the donations from Liv/giant and Skratch Labs and about the plan to bring over additional bikes to Coach Sediq and his staff.  When I asked what was specifically needed we came up with this list:  pedals, cleats, standing pumps and tools, tubes, tires, wheels, bikes bikes and more bikes.   We have wheels ready to roll out thanks to Inertia Racing.  Now its up to us to continue to support with equipment and donated gear.   More than that, or perhaps simply, in addition to that, we need funding to support their racing, travel, and major next steps which I look forward to sharing with you as we formulate the plan.

Huge thanks to everyone to making this possible and bringing major smiles to the faces of Afghan women and men.  For now…here’s a sneak peek from the start of their last training ride with the women proudly wearing new jerseys and helmets from the gear delivery.  Prouder than proud of the cycling community for their support.  Much much more to come and you don’t want to miss it!

The most obvious show of community rallying came with the gear drive.  Individuals, bike shops, and bike companies stepping up to rally gear and turning my home into an episode of Hoarders.  Boxes arrived at my door step daily until eventually I couldn’t see the floor…and so my giant Bear, my daughter, and I had to adjust to living in amid maze of waist high piles of boxes and clothing, as bikes were propped up against every available wall space.

Adam and his crew not only opened up their store as a gear drive drop location, they let us invade with a NBC new crew to film, and donated a box of brand new gear from the store for the women’s team.  When I was one bike box short the day before we left for Afghanistan they emptied one out and handed it to me saying “you need it more than we do – be safe.”

What can I say?  Allen Lim, Aaron Foster, and the entire Skratch Labs crew step up in big ways that make me feel like I have someone in my corner.  They donated 40 pounds of skratch hydration mix for the women’s cycling team, they keep me hydrated, they bought me a Giro helmet and ‘skratchified it’, they even paid for one of our plane tickets, always trying to creatively support my work.  This week, as I’m flying to Kabul, they are putting $1 bills in red envelopes along with a postcard about my work in 1000 copies of pre-ordered editions of Allen and Biju’s newest cookbook.  Paying 1000 customer’s $1 in exchange for a request of time to check out my work as Mountain2Mountain.  I’m truly speechless for the incredible support they have, and continue to, show me.

Sometimes support comes when you least expect it.  A general intro from a cyclist to a friend at a bike company creates a 24 hour turnaround of support that is mindblowing in today’s world.  Jackie Baker at Liv/giant talked with me on Thursday for the first time.  By Friday, she had a fleet of bikes for the women’s cycling team PLUS additional pledged support through 2016.  By Saturday had 5 road bikes in the air to get to Denver in time to join us by Tuesday.  By Monday had a national press release out which led to donation support to help with shipping costs and additional press hits with Bicycling and Shape.  5 days ahead of Afghanistan and we have a strong, long term partner with soul.

Getting 5 brand new road bikes donated, comes with another hitch.  I am a singlespeed mountain biker.  These are road bikes with gears, derailleurs that need adjusting, carbon seat posts that needed sawing, brake cables to adjust, and bike fits to be figured out.  As a girl that just learned to ride on the ‘hoods’, and whose time is already double and triple booked in Afghanistan, the thought of two days of figuring out bike assembly and bike fits was overwhelming.  Insert Ky Hunter.  Former combat helicopter pilot, current Phd student researching gender and conflict resolution, who happens to be a top level cyclist and owner of a bike shop in Golden, CO.  With 4 days lead time, she secured a visa, plane tickets, and permission from professors to leave the country to play bike mechanic with us in Kabul.  Rock on sistah.

Morning lattes the day before flying to Afghanistan at my favorite coffeehouse in Boulder  – fist bumping and hi fiving with Sarah Menzies and Whitney Connor Clapper while planning final logistics.  The Laughing Goat’s owner, Johnny, overhears us talking coffee and immediately shouts over, “I got you covered on that, what do you want to take over?”  So, thank you Johnny for the coffee to keep our team happy and fully caffeinated in Afghanistan.  Add in one purchased stainless steel french press thanks to a last minute run to REI by the film crew, Sarah Menzies and Whitney Connor Clapper as our crew will be much more lively!

Logisticizing means convoys… getting 350+ pounds of cycling gear, 7 bikes, 6 pieces of luggage, and 5 kickass women to the airport takes some ground support.  Doing it in the wee hours of the morning in an icestorm deserves some love and appreciation.  Matt, Peter, and Ky – thank you for ensuring that all that gear and crew arrived in one piece and on time, with borrowed trucks and lots of caffeine.   Not to mention some added muscle!  Heart happy.

A snowball effect seems to be building, thanks to the exposure with NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, and the New York Times - which printed the day we flew out.  Spreading awareness and rallying support in innumerable ways.

Meanwhile – our happy crew of 5 joins up in Dubai with newly engaged, crew number 6, with our ‘bike mechanic’ joining us two days later in Kabul to make us a crew of 7.  Lucky number 7.  A first for me, but a crew of kickass ladies ready to take on the challenges ahead reminding me that sometimes it does take a village, or a just a crew of badassery, that can amplify the stories, the work,  and the projects I’m so invested in more than I, as one woman, ever could alone.   Thank you to everyone that helped make this trip a success and that continue to outreach and share our donation page in hopes of getting us the additional funding we need!

Tashakur!